Looking back, do you think you have saved money by sewing your own clothes? Or do you spend more on it than you would buying RTW? I'm asking this out of genuine curiosity. I know there are many things that are hard to put a price on (you can't get custom-fit garments RTW!). However, what is your overall impression?

(I asked this about knitting once, and the consensus was that most of the people there spent far more on their knitted clothes than they would have spent in the store--FAR more.)

for me, just buying the materials are cheaper than buying RTW, but the time cost of everything that goes into the clothing makes it significantly more expensive. of course that is on top of all of the tools/machines/notions/whatnot that i already had beforehand!

------it doesn't matter what type of sewing you do. you are sewing, and sewing is good.

Do I save money? Maybe, maybe not. However, I have a better wardrobe that I would if I were to buy RTW in the same price range that I pay for the fabrics to make them plus they fit me better.

I'm not even going to factor in the price of machines and any other thing that gets used. It's something I enjoy immensely and the cost of any of that is like any other hobby/sport etc. There are equipment costs associated with it. You can't say you're a bike rider if you don't have a bike, right?

I simply almost never find RTW that fits me, so I'd be spending a fortune either paying for alterations or paying someone else to make clothes for me - some fit issues simply can't be fixed by alterations. I also get better quality garments, ie better construction and longer lasting clothing.

It's just as well that I find it satisfying and enjoyable, cos I'd need to do it anyway.

Since I got interested in sewing, I haven't been able to get myself to buy a lot of RTW clothes, so in that sense, I have saved a lot of money! But I've only made a handful of garments that I actually wear.

Sometimes I do. Certainly not when Kohl's or Walmart is having a sale. However, I have something that fits right and in colors and a style that I like wearing. Fabric is expensive but even clothing at Kohl's or Walmart are not cheap anymore. When you get good enough to compete with some of the better clothing I think you can save some money. Dresses that are sold for several hundreds of dollars can be made for a fraction of the cost and even if you buy high quality fabric. So, I think it depends on your skill level and the fabric sales that you can find. For me, I also get the enjoyment of making it and that is worth something!

I always buy fabric, patterns and notions on sale - some sales are better than others.
It will be a long time before I can really say "I save money", due to machines, equipment, furniture, but heh, it is my passion:)
The enjoyment of the whole process is invaluable!!
I make most gifts (weddings, birthdays, etc) and really feel I save a lot and the gifts are always well received/appreciated.

I think I started sewing to save money - that was over 50 years ago. As time has gone by and I've started getting the more expensive machines and the cost of my sewing studio and an appetite for better fabrics, I no longer can claim that! Of course, I have a lot of fitting challenges due to ever worsening scoliosis and can't even buy things that fit, so I sew to cloth myself in garments that fit a little better than what I could find in RTW. Sewing is something that I can still enjoy because it is done mostly while sitting and that is about all I can do any longer. To cut out my patterns, I have to cut for a while, then sit down and sew on another project in the meantime - then get up and cut out some more. If I have sewing, I'd probably be bored stiff!!!

I think I started sewing to save money - that was over 50 years ago. As time has gone by and I've started getting the more expensive machines and the cost of my sewing studio and an appetite for better fabrics, I no longer can claim that! Of course, I have a lot of fitting challenges due to ever worsening scoliosis and can't even buy things that fit, so I sew to cloth myself in garments that fit a little better than what I could find in RTW. Sewing is something that I can still enjoy because it is done mostly while sitting and that is about all I can do any longer. To cut out my patterns, I have to cut for a while, then sit down and sew on another project in the meantime - then get up and cut out some more. If I have sewing, I'd probably be bored stiff!!!

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